Aug. 13 - Boston, MA

Boston Waterboat Marina Mooring

We had a pretty slow day today. We spent the morning catching up on a few things and then took the dinghy in and did a little more exploring. We wandered through Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, both have served as marketplaces and a meeting hall since Boston's beginning. We had lunch at Legal Sea Foods, which sits at the end of Long Wharf. We could watch people coming and going from all the tour boats. Boston has a wide array of tours you can take by land or by sea...the Boston Duck Tours give you a chance to see the city from both. After lunch we walked back to Little Italy for dessert at Mike's Pastry, a very popular place here in Boston. We have seen people all over town carrying boxes from here. We even tried to get in yesterday, but the line was too long.

We spent some time relaxing on the boat this afternoon and then walked through the Rose Kennedy Greenway to Chinatown for dinner. This greenway replaced an elevated highway that used to separate the waterfront and the North End from the rest of Boston. In the 1950s Boston built the elevated Central Artery (I93) to improve traffic congestion, but by the 1980s this roadway was deteriorating and traffic in Boston was a nightmare. The solution to their problem was solved with the Artery/Tunnel Project, known as the "Big Dig", which was the largest highway construction project in US history. The project rerouted the Central Artery (I93) into a 3.5-mile tunnel. By 2007 the project was complete, the old elevated road was removed and the city was left with the beautiful Rose Kennedy Greenway in its place. It's hard to imagine the work it took to take on such a project, but it definitely made the city more beautiful. Trains and traffic even run under the harbor to Logan International Airport. From our mooring we can see all kinds of boats, planes, cars, and believe it or not we can hear the trains beneath.

Quincy Market was built in 1824 and served as a large farmers market in the beginning. It now houses a food court with selections from all over the world.

Faneuil Hall was built in 1742.  Funding was provided by a wealthy merchant, Peter Faneuil, for the construction and local artisan to create the grasshopper weather vane that still perches on the building's cupola. Inspirational speeches by Samuel Adams and other patriots were given at Faneuil Hall. It was expanded in 1806. Today, the first floor is still used as a lively marketplace and the second floor is a meeting hall where many Boston City debates are held.

Mike's Pastry...yesterday when it was very crowded. It was much better today.

A comparison of what Boston looked liked before and after the "Big Dig"

The greenway is a definite improvement to the city.

A neat antique shop we found on our way to Chinatown. We've never seen so many modal boats in one place.

The entrance to Chinatown

This super yacht is one of our neighbors. It is the Aviva, 223' long (it's the 80th longest yacht in the world)...it makes all the other boats in the harbor look small. That is a 55' Nordhaven sitting next to her, next to us the Nordhaven looks very large. I read on the Internet that the owner has an art collection worth $1 billions onboard! I'd love to see the inside of this ship.

Our wonderful view of Boston